Written In the Stars | s.b |

ELEVEN

"You two are going to deep clean the cauldrons," Professor Slughorn said. "Every single one of them. Then I want you, Ms. Lupin, to serve at this weekends slug club party."

"That's hardly fair!" Ariah protested. "You can't force me to serve at this event and not Lily! That's called favoritism and I'm pretty sure you could get fired for that!"

"I am in the Slug Club. Of course I wouldn't serve in it," Lily said.

"Bully for you," Ariah said.

"Ms. Lupin," Slughorn scolded. "You have one hour ladies."

He turned, entering his office and leaving the two girls alone — a mistake on his part, Ariah thought.

Ariah huffed, turning her back on Lily and beginning to clean the first cauldron.

"I don't even know why I'm here," Lily said. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for you..."

Ariah turned her head to glare at the red head.

"Right," she said seethingly. "I'm sorry. Because I'm the one who called you the stupid slut... deepest apologies, Evans."

"I did not call you a stupid slut!" Lily argued.

"That's pretty much what you insinuated when you said 'Maybe if you stopped snogging every guy you meet and actually picked up a book for once, then you wouldn't be failing.'"

"At least, that's how every views me now, after you said that."

Ariah went back to cleaning, her movements more aggressive. She paused, looking back at Lily. "And for your information, I have only ever been with James. I've only ever kissed.... James. So if kissing one person makes me a slut... then I suppose everyone is a slut."

She huffed, going back to scrubbing the cauldron with jerky motions.

"And another thing!" Ariah threw the cloth into the cauldron. "I study my arse off! I study and I practice and I listen and I work til all hours! I haven't slept in days! Days!!"

"Some people work harder than you ever will and get nothing in return because it just doesn't click! And there isn't anything wrong with that because guess what?! Just because I'm not very good at potions, or charms, or the other classes you and I are in together — that doesn't mean that I'm not incredibly gifted in other classes!"

Ariah let out a giant breath. "That's it... that's all I have to say."

She went back to cleaning the cauldron. Finishing the first one, she went on to clean the next. Her mind wandered to Sirius and how he was able to calm her down yesterday. He seemed to do it so effortlessly while she, with the powers, struggled daily.

Maybe it was him. Not that she was horrible at maintenancing her powers — but because Sirius and Ariah balanced one another out...

She immediately scolded herself. Maybe she was a slut after all...

"I'm sorry," Lily mumbled after a while.

"What?" Ariah looked to Lily who was intently scrubbing her cauldron.

"I'm sorry... I might have.... misjudged you. I didn't mean to insinuate that you were... a stupid slut. I guess, since you hang out with those boys... I assumed that you're bad too."

"Those boys?" Ariah asked. "You mean my brother, best friend and boyfriend?... and Peter..."

"Well you have to admit they can be a bit much," Lily said with a chuckle.

"And so can I," Ariah responded, turning back to clean the cauldron.

Lily sighed. "Look I'm apologizing here — I'm trying to patch things up between us."

"Really? Is that what that was?"

"Why do you hate me so much, Ariah?" Lily asked.

"I don't hate you, Lily," Ariah said. "I just don't see us ever being friends."

"And why not?"

"Do you actually want to be my friend? Or do you just feel bad for making the whole school see me as an idiotic slut?"

"Yes — no! I mean... no I don't just feel bad and maybe I don't want to be friends necessarily I just — maybe we could be," Lily said.

"No. You don't want to be friends, you just want everyone to like you and it kills you that I don't."

"Is that why you can't see us being friends?" Lily asked, stepping closer to Ariah.

Ariah groaned, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Lily with impatience.

"No. I don't want to be your friend because you think you know everything, Lily. You think that just because you know how to do spells so effortlessly and because you know how to make potions and crap that you know people as well. You judge everyone who isn't like you or doesn't do what you would — and I already have a friend like that I don't need a second one."

Lily sighed. "You're right...."

"I am?"

"Yes. I suppose... well I just... I'm a muggle born... everyone thinks I'm not worthy enough to be here and I guess I just got carried away in the hustle of trying to prove everyone wrong..."

Ariah glanced at Lily who was intently washing her cauldron. Suddenly, she felt insanely horrible for judging Lily Evans. Sure, she had been right but... there was obviously more to her.

How was it, that even with her empathy powers, she could still manage to misjudge someone's actions. It was never this difficult with Sirius.

"I'm sorry, too," Ariah finally said. "For pouring the potion on you — I, er — Well I tend to get overwhelmed when I feel a lot and when I can't decipher others emotions..."

"You're an empath?" Lily asked, excitement dripping from her tone.

Of course she would know exactly what an empath was.

Ariah nodded. "Unfortunately..."

"You know..." Lily said after a moment of silence passed between the two. "I could also help you study... if it's just the two of us, well maybe you could focus."

"I usually study with Sirius," Ariah said. ".... huh... now I see why I'm failing."

Lily laughed along with Ariah.

Ariah thought, maybe the two could be friends after all.